Pool Construction Warranty: What’s Actually Covered, and for How Long

Pool construction warranty: what Trademen Pools covers

The Trademen Pools pool construction warranty runs on three clocks: 10 years on the concrete shell, 5 years on the finish (marbelite or fibreglass) and 1 year on the piping. Each period covers a different part of the build, so each has its own length. Trademen Pools honours its guarantees. The only exceptions are destruction from natural causes, such as weather, and damage caused by human interference.

Warranty periods at a glance

Part of the pool	Guarantee	What it rests on
Concrete shell	10 years	Y8 steel bars, 100mm mesh wire and a ring beam, with 30 MPa ready-mix concrete poured to 150mm and cured for three to five days
Finish: marbelite or fibreglass	5 years	Marbelite applied and left to cure overnight, or fibreglass plastered, dried completely, then finished with resin and gelcoat and cured
Piping	1 year	Suction and return lines, including the 50mm PVC piping on marbelite pools

The same 5-year guarantee applies to remarbelite and refibreglass renovation work.

What the pool construction warranty covers, with examples

The guarantee exists to cover defects in how the work was done or in the materials used. These examples show what that looks like for each period.

The 10-year concrete shell guarantee

The shell is the structure that holds everything else. It is built with Y8 steel bars, 100mm mesh wire and a ring beam, then poured in 30 MPa ready-mix concrete from a reputable supplier at a thickness of 150mm. Because the shell is buried and cannot be rebuilt cheaply, it carries the longest guarantee. Typical examples of covered problems:

• Structural cracking that traces back to how the shell was built.
• A shell that loses water because of a construction fault.
• Failure of the concrete or reinforcement that was part of the original build.

The 5-year finish guarantee

The finish is what you see and touch every day. It is either marbelite, a classic matte plaster finish, or fibreglass, a smoother surface with a slight sheen. Both carry the same 5 years. Typical examples of covered problems:

• Marbelite: the finish lifting or coming away from the shell because of a fault in the application.
• Fibreglass: the resin or gelcoat peeling or separating from the plastered shell.

The 1-year piping guarantee

Piping carries the water between the pool and the equipment, so it is a separate system from the shell and the finish. Faults in joints and connections usually show up once the pool is filled and running, which is why the first year matters most. Typical examples of covered problems:

• A leak at a joint in a suction or return line.
• A line that was connected incorrectly to the equipment.

Everyday scenarios and how the guarantee applies

• The finish starts lifting in year three: this falls inside the 5-year finish guarantee and is honoured.
• A shell fault appears in year eight: the 10-year shell guarantee still applies.
• A suction line leaks in month eight: the 1-year piping guarantee covers it.
• A piping problem appears in year two: it falls outside the 1-year piping guarantee. Trademen Pools can quote the repair.

What is not covered

Two situations sit outside the pool construction warranty. The first is destruction from natural causes such as weather. The second is human interference, for example someone walking on a finish that is still curing. Neither is a workmanship or material fault, so neither is a guarantee issue.

Frequently asked questions

Is damage from storms or hail covered by the pool warranty?

No. Destruction caused by natural causes such as weather is excluded from the guarantee. A storm or hail event is not a defect in the work. Photograph any damage and check your homeowner’s insurance. If the problem is a normal workmanship or material fault, it is honoured. Trademen Pools normally responds to repair calls on the same or the following day, depending on pressure.

No, the warranty does not cover damage caused by natural events like hail or storms. Such weather-related damage is typically covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy.

What happens if I accidentally damage the pool finish myself?

Damage caused by a person interfering with the work, such as walking on a finish that is still curing, is not covered. The risk is highest right after application. Marbelite is left to cure overnight. A fibreglass finish is plastered, dried completely, then given resin and gelcoat, which must also cure. Keep everyone and everything off the pool until the team confirms the finish is ready.

If you accidentally damage the pool finish, for instance, by walking on a surface that is still curing or by altering fittings without our approval, that specific damage will not be covered. However, other aspects of the warranty will remain valid.

Do I need a maintenance contract for my warranty to be valid?

The only exclusions Trademen Pools applies are natural causes and human interference. A maintenance contract is a separate service that Trademen Pools offers after completion. It keeps the pool looked after and gives you one team to call. Ask about the terms when you receive your quote.

A maintenance contract is not a requirement to keep your warranty valid. However, regular maintenance is the best way to prevent issues related to neglect, which are not covered by any contractor’s warranty.

Why is the warranty period for the piping shorter than for the pool shell?

The two are different components. The shell is a poured structure: Y8 steel, 100mm mesh wire, a ring beam and 150mm of 30 MPa concrete. The piping is a system of suction and return lines connected to the equipment. Workmanship faults in piping usually appear soon after the pool is filled and running, so a 1-year period covers the stage when they are most likely to show. The shell guarantee runs for 10 years because the shell is the structure the whole pool depends on.

The piping is the most straightforward and least expensive component to repair if a fitting fails early. The pool shell is a structural element, and any issues with it are significantly more costly to rectify, which is why it comes with the longest warranty coverage.

Can I get an extended warranty for the pool’s finish?

The standard finish guarantee is 5 years for both marbelite and fibreglass. If you want different terms, raise it before you accept the quote. Anything agreed should be written into the quote itself.

Trademen Pools provides a 5-year warranty on both marbelite and fibreglass finishes, covering normal wear and workmanship defects. For coverage beyond this period, a maintenance contract is recommended to protect the pool’s appearance and functionality.

Get Your Pool Warranty in Writing

A pool construction warranty is only as useful as the paper it is written on. A spoken promise is hard to enforce years later. Trademen Pools sets out the warranty terms with every formal quote, so you know what is guaranteed and for how long before you commit.

Check these points before you sign:

• The 10-year, 5-year and 1-year periods are stated separately.
• The finish you chose, marbelite or fibreglass, is named against its 5-year guarantee.
• The exclusions for natural causes and human interference are spelled out.
• You know whom to contact and how quickly to expect a response.

Because Trademen Pools handles the whole job in-house, one team stands behind the shell, the finish and the piping. You never have to work out which subcontractor is responsible.

A pool construction warranty is only worth what’s written down. Before you commit to any contractor, ask for a detailed, signed quote that breaks down the guarantee by element and names the exclusions clearly.

Keeping your pool construction warranty in good standing

• Keep your written quote and the warranty terms somewhere safe.
• Keep people off a new finish until the team confirms it has cured.
• Photograph any problem as soon as you see it, and report small faults early, before they grow.
• Keep records of any maintenance carried out on the pool.
• Ask about a maintenance contract if you want the pool checked regularly.